Wọ́n ní kò sí èèwọ̀. Wọ́n ní irọ́ ni, síbẹ̀ ayé rí rúdurùdu, ohun gbogbo ò gún régé mọ́ bíi ti ìgbaànì. They say there is nothing like taboo. They say it is a lie, yet the earth is in menace, everything is not in order like centuries past. But the real truth is that taboo exists.
Kí ni èèwọ̀? Èèwọ̀ is taboo in Yorùbá. It is regarded as "ohun tí kò wọ̀" (èyíkèyí tí kò wọ̀), that is, that which is not accepted. Ohunkóhin tí kò wọ̀ ni èèwọ̀.
To create law and orderliness in the society, taboo was the panacea recognized everywhere around the globe, all faith; religious belief laid down various taboos to curb the behaviour, way of life of its members. Èèwọ̀ pé oríṣìíriṣìí, ṣàṣà ni orílẹ̀-èdè, ẹ̀sìn tí kò ní èèwọ̀, ibi gbogbo là ń kó ẹdìẹ alẹ́ ni èèwọ̀. Ìjọ Onígbàgbọ́ kan ò gbọdọ̀ láya méjì, èèwọ̀ ni (it is a taboo for The Anglican Church to marry more than a wife), food also has taboo, my people will say "o ti jẹ èèwọ̀" (you have eaten taboo), a Muslim follower must not eat pork meat or dog, it is a taboo to the religion - Mùsùlùmí ò gbọdọ̀ jẹ ẹran ẹlẹ́dẹ̀, kò sì gbọdọ̀ sin ajá tàbí jẹ ajá.
Ẹnikẹ́ni t'ó bá ṣe ohun tí kò tọ́ ni ó ṣe èèwọ̀. Ẹní bá ṣèṣì ṣ'ohun tí kò tọ́, ní láti rí ohun tí kò tọ́ (wọ̀). Punitive measures not from anyone but by the èèwọ̀ itself abound for one who goes against the èèwọ̀ (norm) one way or another.
In Yorùbá land anyone who does not keep to order, norm is a bastard because èèwọ̀ is a measure to make one live long once the law (taboo) is kept intact as one. Ẹnikẹ́ni tí kò bá ka ti èèwọ̀ sí kì í ṣe ọmọlúàbí, nítorí bíi òfin ni èèwọ̀ rí; má ṣe é ni. Kí ẹ̀mí lè gùn ni. Gbogbo wa la ní èèwọ̀, ó kàn dun ni, a ò kà á sí mọ́ torí ọ̀làjú, ó sì ń kó bá wa. We all have èèwọ̀, it's a sad thing civilization makes it difficult to abide by it.
Bí a bá wò ó, à á rí pé ó ní ìdí tí a fi ka èèwọ̀ yìí lákọ̀ọ́kọ́ (if we check it, there is a reason we have taboo in place). Our gene, as well as DNA is unique, twins seldom have same DNA, mine is not same as yours, we are healthy than ourselves, why? Because our "Orí" is not the same, we weren't born on same day, month or year. Ara yàtọ̀ s'ára, ìlera wa ò jọ'ra, ohun tí Táíyé jẹ lè gbòdì lára Kẹ́hìndé.
Èèwọ̀ pọ̀ suu. (taboo is in it's abundance), you would have heard a few.
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| Èèwọ̀ |
The elders say "téèyàn kò bá gbọ́ tẹnu ẹ̀gà á ní ẹ̀gà ń pàáṣó, bẹ́ẹ̀ ohun ẹyẹ rí lẹyẹ ń sọ". - When one hears the speech from the palm bird one will say the palm bird is blabbing, meanwhile what the bird sees is what its saying (there is always an element of truth behind any rumour). My folks don't just create èèwọ̀, no, there is always a reason behind it.
Before 1929, our forefathers knows that it is èèwọ̀ to collect rain with the hand "a kì í fi ọwọ́ gbe òjò".
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"Oníkọ́ ò gbọdọ̀ jẹ àgbọn, èèwọ̀ ni bí bẹ́ẹ̀ kọ́, ikọ́ yó fín-in"
Coconut when chewed triggers cough in one who has cough.
"Akúwárápá ò gbọdọ̀ jẹ àkàrà"
An epileptic person must not eat bean fries.
"Ìran Ìkòyí ò gbọdọ̀ jẹ òkété"
The Ìkòyí tribe forbids pouch rats (why?)
The Ìkòyí tribe forbids pouch rats (why?)
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"Ìran Ìṣẹri ò gbọdọ̀ jẹ erè"
The Ìṣẹri tribe forbids eating of boa constrictor (why?).
"Ìgbín ò gbọdọ̀ fẹnu kan iyọ̀"
Snail will never touch salt (else it is dead)
"Ọmọ ò gbọdọ̀ já lẹ́hìn ìyá ẹ̀"
A baby should not fall off the back of it's mother (the child may be harmed or die if that happens)
"Iná kì í lépa omi"
(Fire shall never attempts harming water, else it dies)
On the other hand, something without "àṣẹ" that can not be/happen is also known as èèwọ̀. In Yorùbá films you hear Abìjà or Fàdèyí Olóró say "èèwọ̀, kò le è wọlé" or simply "èèwọ̀".
Let us make findings to ascertain why our fathers call somethings taboo for things to work out perfect and well for us. Ẹ jẹ́ kí a pa èèwọ̀ mọ́, k'ó ba júṣe fún wa, k'á gbà pé èèwọ̀ ni ohunkóhun tí a pè léèwọ̀ èèwọ̀ ní í ṣe.
We perish for lack of knowledge, further inquiries into certain Afrikan Yorùbá phenomenon is key to our emancipation and development, your fathers are not fools as you were made to belief by the "masters". Re-think.
Let us make findings to ascertain why our fathers call somethings taboo for things to work out perfect and well for us. Ẹ jẹ́ kí a pa èèwọ̀ mọ́, k'ó ba júṣe fún wa, k'á gbà pé èèwọ̀ ni ohunkóhun tí a pè léèwọ̀ èèwọ̀ ní í ṣe.
We perish for lack of knowledge, further inquiries into certain Afrikan Yorùbá phenomenon is key to our emancipation and development, your fathers are not fools as you were made to belief by the "masters". Re-think.
Èèwọ̀ is categorized, which of its categories do you know? And do you belief in èèwọ̀?
Check out www.yobamoodua.org for more on Yorùbá education and information.